“The blessing of the animals is a family event, a time of fun and joy,” said Archbishop Gomez. “This blessing also reminds us that Easter brings ‘new creation.’

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Princess receives blessing during Annual Blessing of the Animals event at St. Andrew Roman Catholic Church in Pasadena Calif., on Saturday, April 20, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

Archbishop JosŽ H. Gomez blesses a cow as part of the tradition as being the first animal to be blessed as he conducts the 89th annual ÔBlessing of AnimalsÕ at La Placita Olvera in Los Angeles on Holy Saturday, April 20, 2019. (Photo by Ana P. Garcia, Contributing Photographer)

People walk along with their dogs to get their pets blessed as Archbishop JosŽ H. Gomez conducts the 89th annual ÔBlessing of AnimalsÕ at La Placita Olvera in Los Angeles on Holy Saturday, April 20, 2019. (Photo by Ana P. Garcia, Contributing Photographer)

Dee Lu, holds her dog, Amore, as they react to the holy water and are blessed by Archbishop JosŽ H. Gomez during the 89th annual ÔBlessing of AnimalsÕ at La Placita Olvera in Los Angeles on Holy Saturday, April 20, 2019. (Photo by Ana P. Garcia, Contributing Photographer)

Later that evening, the archbishop was slated to celebrate the Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

“The blessing of the animals is a family event, a time of fun and joy,” said Gomez. “This blessing also reminds us that Easter brings ‘new creation.’ The Resurrection of Jesus gives new life to everything, and a new beginning to everything in God’s beautiful creation – birds, animals, everything that God has made in his love.”